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Have you ever been embarrassed by not knowing the local customs in a foreign country? Went to shake hands when you should have bowed? Inadvertently made rude hand gestures? If so, your story could win you a ticket around the world.

LangLearner.com, which allows anyone to learn a foreign language online, is partnering with blog sites Xanga and ireallylikefood.com to sponsor the LangLearner Cultural Smarts Contest. The contest asks users and readers to submit their stories of awkward and uncomfortable situations, where an understanding of local customs could have saved red faces and apologies.

The contest is open from now until May 31st, with the best submissions appearing on the front page of Xanga.com and the popular consumption-worshiping website, ireallylikefood.com. The ten finalists will be voted on by readers, with one entrant packing their bags for a globe-trotting trip.

“Learning a foreign language can really help when traveling, but so can knowing local customs,” said Bryan Cooley, founder and CEO of LangLearner. “We’re looking for real life cross-cultural experiences. These are stories that people can grin and bear now, but they also might save an embarrassing encounter for someone else.”

The first prize, going to the best story, will be one round-the-world ticket. Two second prize winners will take home an Apple iPod Touch, loaded with the LangLearner mobile application. The rest of the winners will receive LangLearner subscriptions, where they can brush up on words and phrases offered in ten different languages.

About LangLearner
LangLearner (http://www.langlearner.com) allows anyone to learn a foreign language using the method that works before for them: visual, audio or experimental. The supports 10 languages, including Chinese and Japanese, as well as more than 90 language pairings. Download the LangLearner app for iPhone, Windows Mobile and Android, and follow LangLearner on Twitter (@LangLearner).